Abstract

In recent years, moral and political philosophers have shown a growing interest in the ethics of immigration. This interest has produced a substantial literature that looks at whether a state’s right to control immigration can be outweighed by any moral obligations it might have to open its borders. Yet, despite the fact that many of today’s liberal democratic states have at some point employed race-based immigration restrictions and currently employ what some consider racist immigration enforcement practices, this literature has only superficially dealt with issues of race and racism.